Buddha's Birthday Celebration (Buddhist Calendar 2570) in Tuyen Quang

On the morning of May 23rd, at An Vinh Pagoda, An Tuong Ward, the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Association of Tuyen Quang Province organized a grand ceremony to celebrate Buddha's Birthday (Buddhist calendar 2570 - Gregorian calendar 2026) and commemorate the 45th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam Buddhist Association (1981 - 2026).

Comrade Ha Trung Kien, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Tuyen Quang province, and other delegates presented flowers to congratulate the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Association of Tuyen Quang province.

Attending the ceremony were Comrade Ha Trung Kien, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee; Venerable Thich Gia Quang, Vice Chairman of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Head of the Information and Communication Department of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Head of the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Tuyen Quang province; Venerable Thich Thanh Phuc, Member of the Executive Council, Deputy Head and Chief Secretary of the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Tuyen Quang province; leaders of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department, the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, the Provincial Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religion, the Provincial Police, the Provincial Red Cross Society, various departments and agencies, along with a large number of monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers in the province.

Delegates, Venerable monks and nuns, lay Buddhists, and the general public performed the ritual of offering incense and making offerings on Buddha's birthday.

Forty-five years ago, from November 4th to 7th, 1981, the Conference for the Unification of Vietnamese Buddhism was held at Quan Su Pagoda, attended by 165 delegates representing nine Buddhist organizations, sects, and schools nationwide. The conference decided to establish the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, adopting its Charter and program of activities, marking a significant turning point in the process of unifying monks, nuns, and Buddhists across the country in the spirit of solidarity, harmony, and service to the nation.

Over 45 years of construction and development, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has continuously grown stronger, upholding the motto "Buddhism - Nation - Socialism," and accompanying the nation in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

After 17 years of establishment and development, Buddhism in Tuyen Quang has increasingly affirmed its role in accompanying the nation, closely connected with the people, and actively participating in social welfare. From 7 monks and nuns, over 30 temples, and more than 10,000 Buddhists in 2012, the province now has nearly 40 restored and newly built temples; nearly 20 monks and nuns and about 16,000 followers and Buddhists participating in various groups and associations. At the same time, the Buddhist Sangha actively carries out charitable and humanitarian work, supporting the poor, disadvantaged children, and providing disaster relief… with a total expenditure of tens of billions of VND.

Delegates, Venerable monks and nuns, lay Buddhists, and the general public perform the ritual of bathing the Buddha.

In particular, from July 1, 2025, Tuyen Quang province and Ha Giang province will officially merge to form Tuyen Quang province, marking a new milestone in the local development process. Within this multi-ethnic cultural space, Tuyen Quang Buddhism and Ha Giang Buddhism will continue to walk hand in hand, sharing the ideal of serving the Dharma, the nation, and humanity.

Speaking at the ceremony, Comrade Ha Trung Kien acknowledged and praised the positive contributions of the Vietnam Buddhist Association of Tuyen Quang province to social welfare and the building of national unity. He expressed his hope that monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers would continue to uphold the tradition of "protecting the nation and ensuring the people's well-being," living "a good life and a virtuous life," and actively participating in movements and campaigns such as "National Unity for Building New Rural Areas and Civilized Cities," contributing to building a more prosperous, beautiful, and civilized Tuyen Quang homeland.

Monks, nuns, lay Buddhists, and the general public perform the ritual of bathing the Buddha.

In a solemn atmosphere, the grand ceremony took place with many meaningful rituals such as: reciting Buddhist prayers for blessings, reading the Buddha's Birthday Message from the Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Association, Buddha's Birthday speeches, the ritual of bathing the Buddha statue, and activities praying for national peace and prosperity.

On this occasion, leaders of provincial and ward departments and agencies presented flowers to congratulate the Buddha's Birthday Celebration (Buddhist calendar 2570 - Gregorian calendar 2026), commemorating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam Buddhist Association and the 17th anniversary of the establishment of the Provincial Buddhist Association's Executive Board.

Text: Minh Thủy - Photos: Lý Thịnh

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/xa-hoi/202605/dai-le-phat-dan-phat-lich-2570-tai-tuyen-quang-1395177/